United States Attorney Barbara McQuade said one scheme involved the submission of false invoices for purchases in excess of $380,000 for advertising on behalf of the school district. She said the other involved the submission of false invoices in excess of $49,000 for services and expenditures relating to a Saturday educational program for district students.

Davis allegedly concealed his involvement with the companies, whose names appeared on the invoices, and concealed the fact that he took a substantial portion of the payments for his own use.

He has said he’s not guilty and called the case politically motivated.

If found guilty of all counts, Davis faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He was freed on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Davis has been involved in a legal challenge to Michigan’s emergency manager law, saying the state has violated open meeting laws in the lead-up to takeovers of local communities.

Highland Park schools currently face an $11.3 budget deficit while student enrollment continues to plummet, down 58 percent over the past five years.